A need exists to provide a means of impedance matching for multi-pin connectors. It is known that surrounding a signal conveyor with a ground device will effectively provide impedance matching. In the past a number of mechanical means have been designed to effect this matching in connectors. Such means including a central signal connector within a coaxial ground connector are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,138, and a central signal connector surrounded by a number of ground connectors is illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,643,201 and 3,761,844.
There exists a need to provide impedance matching for connectors that have a plurality of pins mating. In automated applications, such connectors may be rapidly cycled through numerous cycles of mating and unmating. Pin alignment is critical and, for reliability, it is desirable to provide the matched impedance without unduly complicating the mechanical apparatus that must be repetitively mated and unmated. For this reason, numerous ground pins surrounding a signal pin or a mating co-axial ground plane around multiple signal pins are not deemed to be workable solutions.